Artist of the Month August 2024

Jocelyn Elizabeth

Massachusetts, United States

Jocelyn Elizabeth is a mixed-media artist, writer and mom living north of Boston, Massachusetts. She is a self-taught artist with a formal education in Human Resources and French. Her work is inspired by the people and places that are meaningful to her, with a focus on abstraction and the natural landscapes of coastal New England. She was an artist-in-residence at Chateau d’Orquevaux, France in 2024 and her work has been published in Uppercase Magazine, Click Magazine, All She Makes Magazine, Humana Obscura and In Her Space Literary Journal.

How and when did you start creating art?

I’ve always been creative, but earlier in life, I was exploring all different mediums and genres as hobbies. I first learned to draw from my grandfather, who was an art teacher, and was always the friend with a camera thanks to my other grandfather who worked at Polaroid. I was interested in calligraphy and hand lettering, and played the flute until halfway through college. I dabbled in charcoal portrait drawing and writing poetry and took a representational oil painting class. When I graduated college in 2009 and started working in corporate HR, I knew pretty soon after that I needed a creative outlet, and I got my first DSLR camera in 2012. I started doing calligraphy for wedding envelopes, dabbled in watercolor and line drawing, and learned how to digitize my work to create wedding stationery. In 2017, my uncle acquired a severe global brain injury and then in 2019, I became a mom. I really started to question what it meant to be alive and knew I needed to do something more creative with my life. I had always had an interest in abstract art in the back of my mind, so took a virtual abstract acrylic painting class over Zoom in early 2021. I knew immediately I had found “my medium” and have been painting seriously ever since.

What media and genres do you work in?

I am an abstract mixed-media painter working mainly with acrylic, while incorporating watercolor, charcoal, glitter, and collage of my own photography and writing.

Who or what are your influences?

I grew up (and currently live) in Massachusetts. I am always inspired by the coastal landscape, especially Cape Cod. I also spent some time living in France and California so those influences sometimes make their way into my work. There are so many amazing artists out there. I love the work of contemporary artist Dana James, and the work and social practice of artist and educator Heather Bird Harris. I am always happy to see a Rothko or piece by Helen Frankenthaler or Georgia O’Keeffe. I love color!

What was your inspiration for

The Scars on My Body

?

“The Scars on My Body” is one of my newer pieces created in 2024. This Spring, I participated in an Art and Emergence learning collaborative (led by Heather Bird Harris) where we discussed the intersection of art and ecology, emergent strategy and art as a social practice. Through the lens of environmental art, I spent time exploring materials and how I could start to shift my practice to incorporate less acrylic (plastic) and more eco-friendly materials beyond keeping my studio vegan, which I do already. I had also recently taken a portrait drawing course (with Ricky Vasan at Cambridge Art Association) and was wanting to start incorporating elements of portraiture into my abstract paintings. This piece is one of the first to bring in those elements. It is inspired by climate change and the damage we are doing to our planet.  I used a bright green paint that doesn’t quite fit with the other colors to represent toxic materials in our environment. The painting is titled from the perspective of Mother Nature, with a watercolor eye collaged into the abstract ocean to give the feeling that she is watching (and suffering from) the damage being done to her. 

Describe your creative process?

I am an intuitive painter, so I almost never plan out specific pieces ahead of time in terms of composition and exact subject matter. When I am painting a collection, I do brainstorm my ideas in advance and often come up with titles of paintings before I have any idea of what they will look like.

 The actual visual work begins outside, where I source natural materials, paint in plein air, or let rain water wash over my watercolor paintings. Inside my vegan studio, I paint intuitively, accompanied by intentionally curated audio playlists that evoke the feelings I want to convey. I build history with layers of acrylic paint, collage or image transfer of my own photos, and original writing. I can't help but let the energy pour out of me - my use of saturated color and playful mark making allowing each painting to take on a life of its own.

What are you working on currently?

I was lucky enough to spend 2 weeks as an artist-in-residence at Chateau d’Orquevaux, France, in May 2024 and start a body of work while there. I’ve been working to continue that series since I’ve been home, at a leisurely pace with some breaks for summer vacations and time with my family. I am expecting to release it in mid-September. I also just finished an outdoor mural with (local) Newburyport Art Association for a project called “We Share One Sky”.

What are your near/long term goals as an artist?

I have so many. I am working right now to find the right gallery partners for my work and also getting into licensing. I would love to write a book (or a few), and move into a larger studio outside of my house. I am working with a friend/curator to develop an exhibition idea that is based on my experience with my uncle’s brain injury. I’ve always had an interest in song lyrics/quotes and would love to get into song writing. Overall, I want to be able to spend time creating and support my family as a full-time professional artist.

Where can people view/purchase your work (gallery, website, etc)?

My work is available on my website, https://www.jocelynelizabeth.com/. I am also a member of some local art associations and my work can often be found at Cape Cod Art Center.

Instagram: @jocelynelizabeth_studio